


College Parties and Casual Sex

by t_dactyl



Series: Tinder AU [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, everyone is trans cause i said so, this is kinda goofy and there is no actual sex so yeet, tinder au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 02:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15086645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dactyl/pseuds/t_dactyl
Summary: Lena and Jack go out on a Thirsty Thursday and happen upon Lena's causal tinder hookup and her friends.feat. drunken Kara, a reassessment of their relationship, and a distinct lack of actual sexual content.





	College Parties and Casual Sex

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this on and off since i first posted the tinder au lmao  
> i wanted it to just be smut but like, they ain't like that and i like fluff and goofy shit so like, boom  
> ALSO. the first part is from before i was aware of Sam and loved her so like. there is a minor inconsistency but ignore it please cause i'm not going back into change it and i'm just gonna live with it so y'all have to too  
> also also, i tend to avoid tagging too much stuff cause i'm usually pretty lazy with it or i don't know what/who to tag, but if there is anything that anyone feels that i should tag, for any reason, just let me know and it'll be done

Parties were never really her thing. Sure, a few drinks and good music among close friends was fun for a while, but add in all the other people and the uncomfortable situations? No thanks.

 

But tonight, at Jack’s insistence, Lena finds herself in some frat house, waiting by the door as Jack goes to scout for something she can safely get tipsy on. She would move farther into the house than the front hall but she doesn’t know the layout of the place and she doesn’t want to get herself lost before Jack can come back.

 

She sighs as she moves out of the doorway, going to lean against the wall and take the pressure off at least one of her feet. She probably should not have worn her new heels to this kind of party, but on such short notice she had no choice. Jack had just gotten his new packer in the mail and with how his beard was filling out, he had insisted that they needed to go out and show off. So here she is, breaking in new heels, wearing a short red dress with lipstick to match and a fashionable fleece lined windbreaker, and -- most importantly -- feeling wholly overdressed.

 

Everyone around her are in various states of sobriety, but most are dressed far more casually than she is. Sure, there are a couple short skirts or lacy, midriff baring tops, but for the most part, there are pants, leggings, sweaters, sneakers, and the like. With her slightly curled hair, impeccable makeup, and her outfit, Lena looks more like something out of a magazine than a girl at a frat party and people take notice.

 

More than one obviously drunk man has given her leering once overs in the few minutes she’s been here, starting over in her direction thinking that they have a chance before she wards them off with her most deadly of glares.

 

Standing there, she looks untouchable. Calm and cold, face impassive and posture only the least bit stiff if you’re really looking. She’s a statue of a long forgotten deity, misplaced in this mortal dwelling. But  _ internally _ , she’s a mess. Waiting for Jack to return seems like an eternity, the anxiety building up within her chest. She looks good, but feels out of place, too nervous and insecure to even consider finding the lingering glances flattering. The eyes on her don’t make her feel good about her outfit, they just make her feel all the more uncomfortable.

 

Lena is two seconds from turning and walking right back out of the door when Jack finally returns. He couldn’t have been away more than ten minutes, but the seconds dragged in her anxiety and it felt like hours.

 

“Hey,” he says gently, using his height and bulk to block the party from her view and her from everyone else. He’s got their drinks in his hands, hard cider for the both of them because it’s gluten free for her and he prefers the taste to beer. “Are you alright?”

 

She takes a deep breath, settles her nerves, and looks up at him to meet his kind dark eyes. “I’m alright. Just -- maybe stay with me?”

 

His eyes search her face for a moment before smiling apologetically and nodding. “So,” he starts, trying to lift her spirits again, “I heard this party was for some team on campus getting into the finals or championship or something? I don’t really follow the intramural stuff.”

 

Lena nods her acknowledgement as she takes a sip from her bottle. She doesn’t know much about sports in general, but she appreciates the skill it takes to play. 

 

Jack watches her, making sure she’s really alright before casting his gaze around the room. “So,” he starts with a sly smile, “You think we can both get some ass tonight or no?”

 

Sputtering, Lena has to bring a hand to her chin to stop herself from dripping cider onto her front. She collects herself quickly after wiping her mouth and glares at him while he bursts out laughing. “You are  _ awful _ , Jack Spheer.”

 

“What?” he manages to get out between guffaws, “That’s why I’ve got both of us out here tonight. And face it, we’re the hottest people at this party, there’s no way that anyone in this place won’t want to fuck us.”

 

She shoves his shoulder as she joins in his laughter, a blush staining her pale cheeks. “You shouldn’t be so vain. Or so vulgar.”

 

“Oh please, that vulgarity is one of the things you love about me. You adore the way I say the things you think but can’t say thanks to your ‘proper upbringing.’”

 

“Of course,” she smiles, “What would my mother think of us now, dressed up as we are and looking to have casual sex?”

 

Jack scoffs and rolls his eyes, “I couldn’t give two shits and a rat’s ass what your bitch of a mother thinks. That awful woman still calls us both by our dead names and swears she has two sons. And that’s when she is forced to claim you as her child at all. She can choke.”

 

“Jack!” she scolds, but she’s holding back giggles, “You shouldn’t say things like that, she’s still my mother.”

 

He smiles slyly at her, “You know I don’t like her. But it did make you laugh, didn’t it?”

 

She meets his fond gaze and can’t help but feel the warmth bloom in her chest. She loves him and all that he does for her. “Alright, you cad, now are you really looking to meet someone tonight?”

 

He glances around the room, obviously looking for a target. “I mean, there are plenty of athletes here and their fans, a good variety. I want to at least try my hand.”

 

Lena smiles at his roguish grin. She remembers a time when they would haul up in their rooms, video chatting about their dysphoria and how they didn’t think they would ever feel good enough about themselves to go out and find dates. But to look at them now, confident in themselves and how they present, she feels a sort of pride in how far they’ve come.

 

“Has anyone caught your eye then?”

 

She follows his gaze and he gestures to a person with dark hair, “How about them? What do you think?”

 

The person is across the room and talking to a group of people and drinking a beer. Lena takes a moment to glance over them before recognition hits her. She immediately starts laughing, taking Jack by surprise.

 

“I’m sorry, big boy, but I don’t think you’re much their type.”

 

He swivels his gaze from Lena to the person and back, sputtering. “What’s that supposed to mean? What do you know?”

 

“Their name is Alex. They were the TA for one of my courses and I spoke to them a few times. I also met their girlfriend at the time. They're a massive lesbian, Jack.”

 

Jack looks back at the brunette who was standing very close to a blonde person and making obvious eyes at them and he sighs, “Well, that’s just par for the course, isn’t it? I seem to have a good eye for lesbians. I would suggest that you have a go at them, but they seem to be preoccupied with that blonde.”

 

They both watch for a moment as Alex sidels closer and the blonde whispers in their ear, causing a blush that is visible even from across the room to spread on their cheeks. But, as if the weight of their eyes was physically felt, another blonde from the group turns and catches them watching. It takes a moment for it to register for Lena, but she also recognises this person, and they obviously recognise her too, if the shout of her name is anything to go by.

 

“Lena!” Kara calls as she separates from her group and starts winding her way across the room.

 

The blonde is wearing an open flannel and shirt combo with a light pair of jeans, but there is no jacket in sight, despite the chill in the air outside. Her hair is curled and windswept around her face and her glasses are askew. As Kara weaves her way through the crowd, she stumbles a bit, which belies how intoxicated she actually is, but she is smiling widely as she tries to get to Lena, obviously excited to see her.

 

They’ve had a couple more casual encounters since their first meeting at Lena’s dorm, just quickies here and there, stolen moments between classes or studying. It is during these encounters that Lena can’t help her growing fondness for the blonde. Kara is always considerate of her boundaries and willing to do only what she is comfortable and they always have a good time. And sometimes, in moments that Lena will never admit to liking, they’ll talk about their days, the classes they’ve just come from, or maybe a therapy dog Kara saw on campus that day. Lena was the one who insisted they keep it casual, but every stolen moment where she basks in Kara’s bright smile, she starts to question that decision.

 

Jack notices the blush on Lena’s face as she watches Kara approach and he clears his throat to get her attention.

 

“Now who might this be, Lena?”

 

Lena startles. For some reason, she found herself totally captivated by the tipsy blonde, even in this state. In the short second that Kara had grabbed her attention, she had taken all of it, narrowing her focus to Kara and Kara alone. Lena had been so focused on watching Kara’s approach, she had forgotten that she was at a crowded party and standing next to her best friend. “Oh, I- Uh… ”

 

“Lena!”

 

Kara has reached them by now and stumbles up to the pair, catching herself on the wall next to Lena and nearly falling into the brunette completely. Lena reddens further at the close proximity, but otherwise doesn’t shy away, earning her a curious and searching look from Jack.

 

“Hey- um. Hello, Kara,” Lena greets hesitantly, trying her hardest not to look back at Jack. At the mention of the blonde’s name, he had straightened and his keen gaze had traveled between the two women with interest.

 

Jack doesn’t give Lena a chance to say anything else, immediately jumping in to introduce himself. “So you’re the illustrious Kara,” he starts, “I’ve heard a bit about you from my dear Lena here, all  _ very _ good things. I’m Jack, her best friend.”

 

The blonde nearly doubles over in her following fit of giggles, “Wow, that was a lot of words, Jack.” Kara doesn’t even seem to notice how darkly Lena is blushing at this point. “It’s good to meet you though.”

 

The dopey smile on Kara’s face is endearing and Lena finds herself enamoured all the more because of it. And when Kara turns that smile on her, she can feel the slight uptick in her own pulse, something that immediately tells her that she should put distance between herself and Kara as quickly as possible or this will end badly for her. But looking at that smile… she knows that she can’t truly bring herself to do it, that she is resigned to let this crush fester all the more. 

 

“So Kara,” she says, “What brings you to a frat house on a Thursday night?”

 

Jack shoots her a look that says ‘not only is your pining glaringly obvious, but that was a stupid question in general.’ To which Lena can do nothing but subtly shrug helplessly, not that Kara would notice or care in her current state.

 

“Ha, well, this party is kinda for me and my team.” A flush that is definitely not from the alcohol settles in Kara’s cheeks as she lifts a hand to rub at the back of her neck and Lena nearly swoons with how cute her bashful face is. “My rugby team just won our game that lets us into the finals and so we’re celebrating. My friend James is in this frat and he got the guys to throw this party.” She snorts. “Not like it took too much convincing though, it’s Thirsty Thursday anyways.”

 

“Oh really?” Lena asks, trying not to seem too interested in the thought of Kara in a rugby uniform. “I didn’t know that’s what you played.”

 

“You must be pretty good to have gotten to the finals,” Jack says, still giving Lena that look.

 

Kara laughs a bit, “I guess so, but it’s a team thing, y’know. A team effort and all that. I’m just glad they let me play without too much of a fight.”

 

Both Lena and Jack nod, knowing how shitty people could be about a trans person playing any kind of sports, intramural or not.

 

“But still,” Lena says, “it’s impressive that you guys made it. I can’t say I’m very involved in sports, but it must have been quite a feat. I’m impressed.”

 

Jack snorts, “I can guess just how impressed you are.”

 

Lena glares at Jack, but Kara doesn’t seem to notice Jack’s ribbing. She laughs along and blushes, drunkenly oblivious to the sober people’s innuendos and teasing. 

 

“You guys should come over and meet my friends. I know they’d like you,” Kara says, smiling widely and putting a her arm around Lena’s shoulders.

 

The brunette stiffens a little at the abrupt contact, but she makes no moves to remove herself from Kara’s space. “Uh, yeah. Okay.”

 

She looks up at Jack only to find him smirking at her and when she meets his eyes, he rolls his. She really has no way to defend herself here, nothing to say to him that will convince him that she is not becoming attached to this woman, so she doesn’t try.

 

“Great!” Kara says brightly, that goofy smile pulling at something in Lena’s chest. She keeps her arm around Lena and starts leading them back across the room, barely glancing back to make sure that Jack is tagging along as well. The press of bodies is warm and near suffocating as they pass through the throng of college students, but Kara never loses hold on her, keeping her grounded and secure. They emerge from the fray in front of the group that Kara had been talking to before and they greet the blonde with cheers and smiles that she returns in kind. “Yeah! I brought new friends!”

 

The group quiets but the smiles don’t fall. Lena can see that there is a general level of intoxication quite similar to Kara’s and almost laughs. That will definitely make this conversation easier and far more entertaining.

 

“Everyone,” Kara starts, flapping a hand to garner all of their attention and nearly striking a man in the face. “This is my friend, Lena, and her friend, Jack. I just met Jack but he seems nice and Lena is  _ very _ nice, so you should all be nice to them.”

 

Jack leans in close to whisper into Lena’s ear with a laugh, “I can only imagine  _ how _ nice you are to her.”

 

Lena sputters, but Jack covers it smoothly by stepping forward to make proper introductions.

 

“Hi, good to meet you all.”

 

The man that Kara nearly struck with her flailing sighs dramatically before leaning on the other man in the group, “Great, another guy who’s taller than me. Fantastic.”

 

Everyone bursts into laughter at his antics and he straightens and smiles proudly at their reaction. He does a little bow before them, “Winn Schott, comedic genius.”

 

Alex snorts loudly and shoves him, “We’re only laughing because we’re drunk. You’ll go back to being the lame friend when we’re all sober.” They turn toward the newcomers, “I’m Alex,” they say with a slight smile, before regarding Lena seriously, “Have I met you before? I can’t place your face.”

 

Lena smiles, “We have met, yes. I came to a couple of your office hours when you TA’d a course I took.”

 

“Yeah, yeah okay,” they nod, thought the glazed look in their eyes says they really aren’t remembering and probably won’t remember this tomorrow either.

 

Next, the taller man who Winn had leaned against leans forward to be heard, “James Olsen. If you were in one of Alex’s classes you must be a STEM major. Are you one of those who look down on the “soft” sciences?” He actually makes quotations with his fingers.

 

Lena wants to bristle at the suggestion that she looks down on anyone, used to that kind of comment directed at her with a sneer because of her last name, but when she looks into James’ warm, dark eyes she sees no malice, just gentle teasing. She smiles and laughs, feeling at ease with these people like she never has with a new group before.

 

“I have a healthy respect for them, I know we all have our own skills and weaknesses.”

 

“Hmmmm,” this is coming from the as of yet unnamed blonde next to Alex, “Very diplomatic answer, kid. I respect that. I’m Sara.”

 

After introductions are made, Jack falls into easy conversation with Winn and Alex about his ideas of a medical use nanobot and Lena finds herself listening to Sara, James, and Kara talk about their new gym routines. Sara, a highly accomplished martial artist, has started training James and Kara is thinking of joining in. Lena is about to go and join the conversation that is more in her field of expertise, but finds that Kara’s arm, having not left her shoulders this whole time, tightens a bit to draw her attention.

 

She turns to shoot Kara a questioning look, only to find intent blue eyes gazing back.

 

“Hey,” Kara says, addressing James and Sara but not taking her eyes off Lena, “I’ve gotta go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back. Lena, will you come with me?”

 

James doesn’t pay them much mind and waves them off but if either of them had been paying more attention, they would have noticed the knowing look that Sara gives them as they turn to leave.

 

Plunging back into the sea of bodies, Kara removes her arm from around her and takes Lena’s hand instead. Kara stumbles a bit as she leads, but seems to know where she’s going and Lena follows in a daze as her mind conjures all the possibilities of what Kara wants to do in the bathroom. Flashes of memory play in her mind of their other bathroom meetings and she feels a rush of heat spread through her.

 

Kara takes her upstairs, weaving clumsily through the couple people that have come upstairs. There are closed doors and sounds from inside that make it obvious what’s happening and other couples sequestered away in corners with dark looks and lingering touches. Kara nods to some people, offering passing greetings but doesn’t slow or stop to talk. She approaches one door that has been left ajar and opens it all the way, revealing a small bathroom. The blonde steps in and tugs Lena after her, closing the door firmly behind them.

 

“God,” Kara whispers, pulling Lena closer and pressing the fronts of their bodies together, “You look so good.”

 

Her breath is hot against the side of Lena’s neck, hands coming to gently cup her hips. Kara groans and nuzzles in closer, forehead resting against her neck and looking down at Lena’s cleavage. Lena knows that her face is probably beet red by the warmth she feels in her cheeks, but the contact and the compliment give her a different type of warmth in her chest. “Kara…”

 

Lena can feel the skim of Kara’s lips on her next words.

 

“Can I kiss you?”

 

She lifts her head and meets Lena’s eyes and Lena can see the glassy look in that blue glaze. She wonders just how much Kara has had to drink and when that warm breath is puffing over her lips and she can smell the strong scent of alcohol on her breath, she has to ask.

 

“Kara, wait,” she says, pushing Kara away with a grip on her shoulders, “what have you drank tonight?”

 

The blonde laughs and meets her eyes only for a moment before she gets distracted and they drift downwards. Lena waits a moment for Kara to look up again but when she doesn’t, gives her shoulders a light shake. “Kara, your drinks?”

 

“Huh?” She looks up again, looking as if she’s coming out of a daze, “Oh, uh… A couple beers with Alex before we came, then shots with the team. Uh… a few cups of that pink stuff downstairs, I think? I don’t really remember how much.”

 

Kara tries to close the distance again, attempting to push forward and take Lena into another embrace. But she’s not coordinated or particularly strong in her intoxication and Lena holds her at bay easily. “Kara, no.”

 

“Oh, uh, I’m sorry,” she says, immediately stepping back and stumbling a bit into the closed door. “Do you not want to? I din’t mean to assume? That’s not nice of me, I’m sorry, I don’t want to make you uncomfy.”

 

And she looks so remorseful and sad at the thought that she was forcing Lena into this or that her advances were anything other than wanted and much appreciated, that Lena steps forward and grabs her hands.

 

“Kara, no no, I do want to. But first off, I can’t kiss you now. You’ve drank way too many things that would make me sick if we kiss, you’d have to rinse out your mouth or brush your teeth.”

 

Before Lena can move onto her second point, Kara (who had brightened again at the confirmation that Lena wanted her) has moved around her, turned on the sink, and is in the process of scooping water into her mouth. The sight alone, with water splashing out of her hands and spilling down her chin and onto her shirt, has Lena bursting into giggles. Her laughter draws Kara’s attention and the blonde looks back at her, humming in confusion and trying to smile with Lena, but with her mouth full of water to the point that her cheeks are bulging, she ends up opening her mouth too much and spilling more water all down her front. Lena cackles.

 

Gasping for breath between her gawfs and bent at the waist, Lena puts her hand on Kara’s shoulder to stop her. “And  _ secondly _ , you are very much too drunk to be doing anything of that nature. I want you to remember what we do the next morning, darling.”

 

The term of endearment just slips past her lips without her consent and stops her laughter abruptly. She’s supposed to be keeping things casual, she was the one who insisted upon it, and calling Kara ‘darling’ was definitely not in casual sex territory. In fact, it was edging quite close to ‘I’m-catching-feelings-for-this-woman’ territory.

 

Kara doesn’t seem to have noticed her slip up and subsequent panic though and just wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand and then pouts.

 

“I’m not that drunk,” she all but slurs, “I’ll totally remember this tomorrow. And even if I’m too drunk to get hard, I could still suck you off or something. Or we could just make out, or anything. We could hang out. I would really like that.”

 

Drunkenness has loosened her tongue, made her bold enough to say things that she wouldn’t have made it through normally. Lena blushes red all the way down to her cleavage at the blunt statement.

 

“Kara!”

 

“What?” she asks, that adorable pout still on her face, “I mean, I know you wanted casual, but like… What’s not casual about maybe hanging out a little when we’re not having sex? Like the friends part of friends with benefits.”

 

And Lena knows that what Kara is suggesting is perfectly reasonable, something that they could do without interfering with the rest of her life or causing any ‘distractions’ that could get back to her mother. But she also knows that spending more time with Kara, especially more time where she’s not focused on just sex and Kara’s body will just cause these feelings that she’s trying to avoid to grow, to blossom in her chest until there would be no hiding them or pushing them away. The best thing for her here would be to tell Kara that they’re not going to be doing that, deliver Kara back to her friends, and to cut ties completely. It’s best to nip this in the bud before things go too far and she ends up with A Whole Situation.

 

That would be best, she decides. That’s what she’ll do. That’s the plan. Alright.

 

“Alright.” _ Fuck. _

 

But with the way that Kara’s face brightens, she can’t imagine having said anything else.

 

“Really? We can like hang out and stuff?”

 

“Yeah,” Lena replies, unable to regret it in the face of Kara’s smile, “We can be friends outside of sex.”

 

That gives the blonde pause. “But we’re still gonna have sex though, right?”   
  
Lena can’t help but laugh again. Drunk Kara really is adorable. “Yes, just not tonight.”

 

“But… can we still start being friends tonight then? Like, can I go home with you?”

 

Lena gives her a look of confusion, “ We can definitely start doing friend things, but why would you need to come home with me after? We can do friend stuff here, friends hang out at parties. Like what you and I were doing before you brought me in here.”

 

“Well,” she glances toward the door, as if someone was going to barge in and hear whatever she seems reluctant to say. When no such thing happens, she continues, though in an approximation of a conspiratorial whisper. “I think Sara and Alex are gonna hook up. And Sara never brings people to her house, so that means my sibling and my friend are probably going to be having sex in the room right next to mine. I kinda really don’t wanna be there for that. Like, we won’t even do anything tonight and I’ll sleep on the floor or in your common room or something? And it’ll be like a slumber party, right? Friends do that. I’m pretty sure friends do that. And you said we’d be friends now and-”

 

“Okay! Kara, okay,” Lena says on a hopelessly fond laugh, “You can come over. But no funny business, right?”

 

“Right right right.” Kara looks a little nauseous after the vigorous nodding she just did, but thankfully, the look passes without incident and that bright smile is back. “So you wanna go back out there?”

 

When she nods, Kara goes and opens the door. She gestures grandly and bows as she holds it for Lena to exit. This pulls another giggle from Lena, “Thank you, you goof.”

 

Kara laughs right back, “No problem. What are friends for?”

 

/////////////////////

 

There is little to no reaction from the group when they return. Alex and Sara are too absorbed in each other to notice much, James is talking to a woman that Lena has not met though the two seem close, and Jack is taking with Winn and looking significantly more intoxicated.

 

It is easy to rejoin the conversations and soon Kara’s friends have all but adopted Lena into their group, joking and laughing easily with her. The ease with which they accept her and how relaxed she already feels amongst these people surprises Lena, but she tries to take it in stride.

 

They’re all having such a good time that it comes as a surprise when Lena checks the time and finds it to be three in the morning.

 

“Oh wow,” she mumbles after looking up from her phone.

 

“Wuhappun?” Kara asks, leaning against her side. Even though she had stopped drinking a while ago, her drunkenness had only diminished marginally.

 

“It’s getting really late, I should probably get going,” Lena responds, tugging on Jack’s sleeve to get his attention. “Hey, I’m gonna get going, you wanna split a lyft?”

 

Jack pulls himself away from his conversation with Winn and nearly flops himself on her back dramatically, nearly throwing both of them to the floor. “What? Does this mean that neither of us are having sex tonight?”

 

Sputtering and trying to support his weight, Lena shoves at his shoulders. “Jack, stop being an idiot, get up.”

 

He laughs and straightens, though he doesn’t separate himself from her fully, keeping an arm around her shoulders to keep her close. Neither of them notice Kara’s longing look at the interaction.

 

“Alright alright,” he says as he pulls out his phone, “Let me call a car.”

 

As Jack goes about setting up their ride, Lena slips from his grip and finds herself next to Kara once again. The blonde seems to think very hard for a moment before sidling in closer to Lena and gently touching the small of her back to get her attention.

 

“Hey,” her voice is quiet and hopeful, but cautious, “Am I still allowed to come with you?”

 

Lena smiles at her and nods, “Of course. Plus,” she nods at something over Kara’s shoulder, “I don’t think you want to be going home with them.”

 

When Kara looks over, she sees her sibling and Sara intertwined on one of the couches, attached at the mouth and getting a bit too hot and heavy for a public forum. Kara shudders and looks away quickly.

 

“I knew it.”

 

Her genuine horror at having to see Alex hooking up draws a fit of giggles from Lena and Kara beams at being able to get her to laugh, even if it was at her own expense.

 

“Well, c’mon then.”

 

After their goodbyes to Kara’s group of friends (with Alex and Sara barely paying them any mind during their make out session), and Jack confirming that their ride is there, Lena leads the small group outside.

 

With the lack of stimuli, Jack’s playful energy fades and by the time their car is back on campus, he’s asleep with his head on Lena’s shoulder, too tired apparently to tease Lena about the fact that Kara is going home with her. Kara has also mellowed out and is resting against Lena, head tilted so that her breath puff against the sensitive skin of Lena’s neck.

 

“Lena,” she whispers, trying not to wake Jack or call the attention of their driver, “Are you sure we can’t do anything tonight?”

 

Lena shivers, turning toward her to whisper back, lips brushing her forehead in a ghost of a kiss. “Not tonight. You’re still drunk and I’m tired.”

 

Kara sighs but nods. “Can we cuddle though?”

 

And Lena knows she should refuse, knows that that would be crossing the line. Kara coming home with her and staying the night is one thing, but cuddling with her, sleeping with her in a non-sexual context will be too much. She’s already feeling the stirring in her chest when she looks at Kara, alreadying feeling the draw for her when she’s not around and the warmth in her heart when she is. It is not a good idea and she knows this. She stiffens a bit and shifts, ready to tell Kara no, that one of them is going to be sleeping on the couch, but Kara shuffles closer and continues.

 

“I mean, friends cuddle, right? And we said we’d be more friends with benefits now. One of the benefits can be cuddling, right?”

 

And she says it so softly, her body so warm pressed into her side, her hair smelling so nice, and she’s just so sweet that Lena can’t deny her, can’t deny herself this simple pleasure.

 

“Yeah, friends cuddle.”

 

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

 

The rest of the cab ride was in silence save for Jack’s light snoring and soon they arrive at the dorms. After waking Jack, he mumbles a goodbye and shuffles off to his room, assuring them that he’s fine on his own and for them to go on ahead. Lena watches until he is out of sight with Kara leaning against her side, arm around her waist. Once Jack is gone, Lena leads Kara back to her building, which Kara is more than familiar with by now. She scans them into the dorm and they wait quietly for the elevator to take them up to her floor.

 

Lena’s dorm is quiet when they arrive, as it often is. “Jess is out tonight with her boyfriend. We recently had someone put into the empty room, Lacy, but she’s never around. I literally haven’t seen her in weeks.” She says by way of explanation when Kara asks, hyper aware of their privacy in a way that she usually isn’t when they’re together. Their usual meetings are so hot and hurried that they have no time to focus on their surroundings and their situation, but now, in the dark and quiet room with no intentions of having sex, there is not really anything else to focus on.

 

“Let me get you something to sleep in,” Lena says, just to break the loaded silence.

 

Kara nods and follows her through the common area and into her room. She silently accepts the sweats and soft shirt that Lena offers and goes into the bathroom to change, knowing where it is without asking from all the other times she’s been over.

 

Finding herself alone in her room, Lena changes into her pajamas, getting comfortable and then reaching for a makeup wipe. She settles for this instead of a shower because she hadn’t been lying when she told Kara that she was tired and she doesn’t really want to get in the shower right now anyway. She reclines back on her bed, pulling her blanket up to her neck. She is hyper aware of her body and the fact that very soon she is going to be sharing a bed with Kara, though with no distraction of sex to keep her thoughts and feelings at bay.

 

After a moment, before Lena can work herself into a panic, Kara comes back in, clothes wadded up in her arms. She has a soft tiredness around her eyes, a quiet exhaustion after a night of fun with her friends, but there is a smile on her lips that tells of how much she enjoyed herself.

 

“Hey,” she whispers, sensing the quiet tension in the room. “Have you got like mouthwash or something? My mouth still tastes like that pink stuff.”

 

“Oh, yeah, it’s right over there.” She points over to the shelf over her desk, “You should drink some water while you’re at it, you drank a lot tonight.”

 

Kara drops her clothes by the door and grabs the bottle before heading back toward the door, saluting clumsily and shooting Lena a goofy grin, “Yes, ma’am, will do.”

 

Her easy smile and blase attitude puts Lena at ease, draining the tension from her shoulders and letting her sag back against her pillows. Kara returns quickly, mouth fresh and still stretched into that adorable smile.

 

“Do you have a preferred side?”

 

Lena shuffles a bit and scoots toward the wall so that Kara can climb up, “Not really. I’ve never slept with anyone like this.”

 

“Oh, okay,” she says, laying out next to her, their sides pressed together on the thin bed as they both rest on their backs. They are quiet for a long, drawn out moment, both stiff in this new position. It is awkward and awful during that pregnant pause before Kara shifts and sighs loudly. “This doesn’t have to be weird. We’ve seen each other naked.” She turns more toward Lena. “Come here.”

 

She gets more comfortable on her back, propping herself up a bit on a pillow and wrapping a strong arm around Lena’s shoulders, tugging her towards her body. Lena lets herself be pulled and repositioned, head resting now on Kara’s chest and body plastered all along Kara’s side. Lena is prepared to sleep just like that, but Kara is not done. The hand that is not around her shoulder settles on her hip for a moment before gliding down to grip a soft thigh, tugging Lena’s leg to rest over her body, leaving Lena in a position where she is lying almost completely on top of Kara. A deep blush spreads all the way from her chest to the tips of her ears and she’s glad that Kara can’t see her face from where it rests on her chest.

 

“Is this alright?” Kara murmurs above her.

 

“Y-yeah.”

 

Kara relaxes, the hand that was at Lena’s shoulder reaching up and carding through soft, dark hair, messaging at her scalp. Lena had been tense once again with embarrassment, but at the attentions, she melts against Kara, allowing the slow, gentle motions to lull her to sleep.

 

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The early morning sun streams through the window right beside the bed, falling across the two women sleeping peacefully there. This does little to disturb the sleep of the dark haired woman -- at the first touch of light on her face, she turns further into the warm body under her -- but the other woman is not so fortunate. From her position on her back, with Lena on top of her, Kara can’t escape the light streaking through the blinds and into her eyes.

 

“Mmmmm…” she hums in discontent, shifting and trying to avoid the sunlight, to no avail. Lena’s weight is warm and soft above her, but immobilizing unless she wants to wake her bedmate. She considers it for a moment, but a glance down at Lena’s peacefully slumbering face, and she can’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she settles back again and rests her hand on Lena’s back, resigned to having the sun bright on her face for as long as it takes for Lena to wake.

 

Kara lies there, content to just have Lena in her arms and  _ be _ , but it isn’t long before Lena starts to stir and she suddenly becomes hyper aware of the intimate way that their bodies are pressed together.

 

While Lena slept, it was easy to pretend that their relationship was more than it is. Holding her like that, after having felt her fall asleep in her arms, Kara could pretend that the growing feelings she had for Lena would be welcome, that they were moving toward a relationship deeper than what they had initially agreed upon. But as Lena stirs and she can feel her stiffen at their intimate positioning, she is cruelly reminded of the reality. Lena doesn’t want a relationship with her, barely even agreed to be  _ friends _ with her. And that’s what they had agreed upon, Kara understands this. She said it was fine, that she wanted that too, but how could she be expected to not catch feelings for someone like Lena. She’s smart and witty and kind and pretty and just the most lovely person and Kara was helpless against her sheer magnetism.

 

As Lena wakes and stiffens, Kara becomes fully aware of all the places they’re pressed together. The alcohol from last night made her loose, giving her the courage to position them as such, but now, sober and in the morning light, she can feel her face flushing with heat.

 

The soft curves of Lena’s body mold to hers, her breasts pressed to her ribs below her own, soft stomach flush with her side, and her thigh spread out low across her hips. Tension bleeds into the pliant flesh and suddenly, Lena is pulling away in the small space of the twin bed and sitting up.

 

She clears her throat as Kara looks up at her, both pretending that they’re not blushing all the way to the tips of their ears.

 

“So,” she starts, voice still love and raspy from sleep and Kara feels a shiver go down her spine. Lena clears her throat once more at the sound and starts again. “How did you sleep?”

 

_ Wonderful _ , she wants to say,  _ I know I was a little drunk but it still felt so good to be that close to you _ . Her heart hurts for a moment as she forced the words down and tries to focus on the now. Lena agreed to be her friend, Lena is here with her now and that has to be enough.

 

Kara smiles brightly, doing a great job of hiding her true feelings, something she has gotten good at over the years. “Pretty good. Your place sure beats sleeping with headphones to avoid hearing my sibling have sex.”

 

A laugh slips suddenly from Lena’s mouth, surprising them both, but makes her relax from her tense posture and smile down at Kara.

 

“I’m glad I saved you the trauma then.”

 

Lena moves to climb over Kara and get up, straddling her for a moment before she gets off of her and the bed. There was an indistinguishable look in her eyes that Kara caught during the movement but it was gone before she could figure out what it meant. Still, she rolls onto her side and snags Lena’s wrist before she can get too far from the bed.

 

“Where are you going?” She is suddenly worried about overstaying her welcome and making Lena rethink her stance on being friends. “I can get out of your hair if you’ve got something to do? I don’t wanna be in the way or anything.”

 

A soft smile is sent her way and she can feel an answering tug in her chest.

 

“I’m just going to the bathroom. I have to brush my teeth and everything, and then I really want to shower.”

 

At the mention of brushing teeth and a shower, Kara becomes aware of her need to do those things too.

 

“Hey, uh. Can I join you on that? My mouth doesn’t taste the best right now.”

 

Lena breathes out a soft laugh, “Yeah, I can imagine. You drank quite a bit last night. C’mon.”

 

She holds her hand out, gives Kara a moment to get up and steady herself, and leads them out of the room and to the sink. It isn’t until she lets go to reach for her toothbrush that she realizes her problem.

 

“Oh… I haven’t got any spare toothbrushes here.”

 

Kara waves it off, “No, that’s cool, don’t worry. I can just like, use my finger or whatever.”

 

She reaches for what Lena indicates is her toothpaste and is just about to smear some on her index finger when Lena suddenly straightens and stops her.

 

“Wait, hold on a sec.”

 

Lena dashes back into her room, there is the short sound of a drawer opening and closing, and then she’s back, a small package in her hand.

 

“Use this instead. It’s only a small step up from your finger, but it’s closer to an actual brush.”

 

In her hand is a pack of replacement heads for her electric toothbrush and she tears it open and hands Kara one with a crooked smile.

 

The older woman can’t help but laugh as she takes the offered replacement with a goofy smile of her own, “Pft, thanks, my teeth appreciate it.”

 

They share a smile for a moment before Lena seems to notice and Kara watches as she shakes her head a bit and turns toward the sink, a sort of firm finality in her movements. Kara could have sworn that there was something, some warmth or affection or…  _ something _ in those green eyes for a moment, just enough of something to keep the spark of hope for something more alive in her mind. Lena may not want to admit it, may not even know it’s there, but there is a spark and as long as there is, Kara can believe that she has a chance of building more that just a friends with benefits kinda thing with her.

 

With that, Kara follows Lena’s lead and brushes her teeth in silence before taking a chance.

 

As she is handed the small towel to dry her mouth, she meets Lena’s eyes and gives her most charming smile.

 

“So, I might have been pretty tipsy last night, but I do remember you saying something about not kissing me until I brushed my teeth. Well,” she flashes her pearly whites, “all clean, Miss Luthor.”

 

Lena all but snorts as she lets out a shocked laugh. The blonde smiles widely at her ability to garner that reaction from her and while Lena might have taken it as a joke, she was completely serious. She  _ really  _ wants to kiss her.

 

“I guess I did say that… ”

 

She tries to play coy, but she’s already leaning in and pulling Kara forward by the collar of her shirt.

 

Her mouth is warm and minty, the sharp cold taste of the toothpaste contrasting with the natural heat of her tongue as she deepens the kiss. Kara groans into the exchange as Lena tugs at the short hairs at the base of her neck and grips at soft hips, pulling Lena flush to her front and molding their bodies together. Kara encircles Lena in her arms and her hands drift low on her back, reaching towards her rear with obvious intent. She’s just about to get a glorious handful and maybe suggest that shower when Lena pulls away, breathing slightly labored.

 

“Wait, do you hear that?”

 

Kara fights to focus on what Lena is saying, let alone what she’s hearing, and after a second she is able to pick up a rhythmic buzzing coming from the direction of Lena’s room. “Is that-”

 

“Shit! It’s Friday!”

 

Lena scrambles out of her arms, leaving Kara to gape after her, an awful song reference on the tip of her tongue.

 

Trailing after her, Kara finds her frantically pulling clothes out of her closet as she speaks quickly into the phone.

 

“No no no, I haven’t forgotten! I was just out with Jack last night and I overslept.” She pauses and a blush spreads over her face as her eyes flick over to Kara for a quick second. “That’s not what happened. I ran into a friend is all. I’m going to be there soon to pick her up, you know I would never give up a chance to see my favorite niece.” Lena listens for a moment before looking straight at Kara thoughtfully for a moment, stopping her harried movements. “Okay, yeah. But would it be alright if a friend came with us? I’m sure Ruby would like her.” She rolls her eyes. “Yes, I do have friends other than you, Jack, and Jess. Is that a yes?”

 

Kara watches this one sided interaction with interest, wondering about who Lena could be talking to, because she knows that while she does have a brother, there was never any mention of a niece in the picture. And the ease with which Lena talks to them, the familiarity and casual banter is endearing in its own way. All she really knows is that if this is Lena’s way of inviting her more into her life by way of friendship, she is grabbing onto it with both hands.

 

“Hey,” Lena calls softly from across the room as she disconnects the call, catching her attention. “I nearly forgot that I told my friend that I’d watch her daughter today, but… ” She casts her eyes to the ground before visibly steeling herself, taking a breath and straightening her spine. “I don’t really want to stop hanging out with you.”   
  


Warmth suffuses through her at Lena’s hesitant admission and a slow smile starts to creep into place, “So…?”

  
“ _ So _ . How do you feel about children’s museums?”

**Author's Note:**

> so like. there will def be more at some point, it just might take a while cause i'm always tired and rarely make myself write for my WIPs even when i have time lmao  
> i'm kinda at an impasse on what should happen next, a cute fluffy not-date with 2yo Ruby or skipping over that and doing more smut, so if anyone has a preference, make it known  
> i hope y'all enjoyed or whatever and you can lemme know or rag on me in comments or @tdactylz on tumblr, catch ya on the flip side yo


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